Johnson, now based in the Gold Coast, Australia, has made a name for herself on the world stage, becoming the second Māori boxer to become a two-division world champion by winning the WBA bantamweight title. And like many athletes, her gruelling training schedule means a traditional 9-to-5 job on top of her boxing career is out of the question.
“I first heard of OnlyFans during Covid, and I really noticed it when I saw professional boxer Ebanie Bridges using the platform,” she said.
“My first impressions were that it was an adult content creation platform but it’s so much more than that.
“One of the biggest perks of OnlyFans is that it gives me the freedom to travel and train while being fully committed to boxing. As a full-time professional boxer, it means I don’t have to worry about a 9-to-5 job on top of my busy training schedule. It also allows me to share insights into my life and training with my fans, which I love doing.”
She said the income it provides helps her be able to travel and “give 100%” to her training without having to worry about finances.
Johnson admitted it was “a little overwhelming” when she first created her profile and started sharing content.
“It took me a while to get through all the supportive messages and requests post-fight. But it’s great to have a lot of downtime now to be able to engage with fans and build my OnlyFans community.”
The pro boxer says there are misconceptions that OnlyFans is entirely made up of adult content – rather, she says it allows her to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at her day-to-day life.
“In reality, as a creator you have the option to post whatever you feel comfortable with. A lot of athletes, including myself, share a lot of behind-the-scenes training and lifestyle content that fans who aren’t on OnlyFans don’t get to see.
“I think it’s important to look after my fanbase so I create content that gives fans more of what they want to see in my life, while making sure it’s what I’m comfortable with.”
The athlete enjoys getting to “be creative, express yourself, and have new, interesting conversations daily”, she said.
“My profile is doing so well that sometimes it can be quite demanding of my time, so I try to commit certain hours of my day to create content and engage with fans.”
Tauranga-born Cherneka Johnson won the IBF world super bantamweight title in Melbourne in 2022.
Asked how her friends and family feel about it, Johnson said so far they’ve been supportive and are happy to help her promote her profile.
“I haven’t had any negativity from friends or family, but if I did receive any comments, I’m a big believer that open communication is the best way to resolve things.”
She said she’s learned not to care too much about what others think of her, adding: “I live by the saying, ‘Do what makes you happy and do what you are comfortable doing’. Don’t worry about what others think or have to say because someone, somewhere is always going to say something. You do you!”
She’s not the only athlete who supplements their income with OnlyFans.
“I’m on a mission to promote healthy masculinity, to challenge homophobia in sports and raise awareness about mental health, both within the elite athlete community and the LGBTQ+ community.”
